Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 19: The Servant of Lord Voldemort

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 190631

 
> 1. 
> "Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year,"
> Harry said. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defence
> lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he
> just finish me off then?" This is a funny quote by Harry, since a couple of  years later he fails to apply same logic. Do you agree or disagree?

Pippin:
 Dumbledore, Hermione, and Lupin all   pointed out to Harry that his theories about Snape were not logical. But Harry didn't trust their logic, he trusted his gut. Snape is doing the same thing here. 

> 2.  "You fool. Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting innocent man back in prison?" Discuss.
> 
Pippin:
If this is Lupin's idea of a reasoned argument, it's no wonder he failed to persuade his fellow werewolves to his cause. Quite aside from the insult with which he begins, he'd sound a lot more convincing if he hadn't just let Sirius sound off about why a schoolboy grudge was worth sending an innocent boy down a tunnel to meet a werewolf. 

Most of the time I like Lupin. I'd love to have him as  a teacher. But when he goes on like this I find myself sympathizing with Snape's desire to see if the Dementors would like a feast.


> 3.  "But you, Peter -- I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start." So, discuss why you think Sirius (and James and Lily) did not see this.

Pippin:
Sirius didn't see it for the same reason he didn't care what Kreacher was up to and didn't know that young Snape was planning to become a Death Eater. He didn't pay attention to his "inferiors" except when he wanted something from them. I think James was the same way. What did it matter to them what  Peter or  Snape made of  their lives? 

Lily is a harder case...she did notice that *something* was bothering Peter. But it seems like she didn't know him well enough to  guess what it really was. James didn't want suspicion cast on any of his friends, and it would have been awkward for Lily to question Peter if James objected.  

> 
> 4. "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN
> BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
>  Do you believe this? Do you think it reasonable that Peter did not, regardless of your answer to the first part?

Pippin:
Black and Lupin did die for their friends, and they both had excuses not to participate in the battles that killed them. So, yes, I do believe them.  Peter never seems proud of what he did, so I think he buys into this morality also. He believes this is what friends should do for one another, just like Sirius believes that people should be kind to their House Elves, and Harry believes people should shun the  Dark Arts. But they don't always have the courage or insight or the self-restraint to do what their beliefs demand of them.

> 
> 5. Snape's emotions in this chapter reach an intensity he has never displayed before. Did you think he had reasons for it?

Pippin:
I was sure he did, and we would find out what they were in time. I certainly didn't believe his rage was due to jealousy about Quidditch.  There was a theory that Snape was acting, but I didn't believe that, either. When he's acting, he goes all icy sarcastic. 

> 
> 6. Snape thinks Harry should have thanked him on  bended knee because otherwise he would have died just like his father, "too ignorant to believe he must be mistaken in Black". What were your thoughts when you have read this paragraph  for the first time if you remember and what were your thoughts about this paragraph after book seven?

Pippin:
There's a typo in your quote: it's "too arrogant" not "too ignorant".  At the time, IIRC, I wondered what Snape was talking about. We hadn't had any evidence, beyond Snape's assertions, that James was arrogant. I think I did start to wonder once Sirius accused Peter of wanting to hang with the biggest bullies on the playground. 

After DH, I can definitely see what Snape was on about. There is arrogance in believing your insight into other people is so good that no one could possibly surprise you.  Of course it is also arrogant for anyone to expect thanks on bended knee. That is maybe a last faint echo of the Half-blood Prince.

> 7. Snape promises to give Sirius and Lupin to the Dementors, did you believe that he will do it?

Pippin:
That's what the dementors are there for, to catch Black and anyone helping him. As a practical matter, Snape knows he is going to have to get Harry, Hermione and the injured Ron back to the castle first. Also, the only way out of the Shrieking Shack is back to the grounds, where the Dementors are forbidden to go. But I can't say I thought of that when I was first reading it. 

> 8. "Sirius says Peter passed information to Voldemort for a year. Why do you think Peter did this?

Pippin:
Peter was in the same double bind that Draco was caught in. If Peter had been caught or had confessed,  Lupin and Sirius would kill him to avenge their friends, and if they didn't do it, Voldemort would. Sirius says as much. 

Pippin